Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus: The Tale of the Hooded Rogue
by ShadowGritz
Summary: Percivus is a loner, a trickster by trade. He thieves for fun and always returns the bounty. In a shanty on the outskirts of an aging hamlet he finds himself face to face with a strange man, a man with an offer young Percivus couldn't refuse.


Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titiallandus: The Tale of the Hooded Rogue

 **I**

Percivus's knack for thievery meant he never got caught. His carriage mates never knew how they ended up with empty pockets after arriving at Hogwarts nor how the contents made its way to their cubbies hours later when they'd made their way to bed after feast. Fortunately Percivus had magic to aid in his clandestine pranks. Even during his first year he knew his peers were oblivious to the workings of Hogwarts and knew he could use this to his advantage.

As he got older, Percivus bought his bread with the gold he earned entertaining bar-goers throughout Europe. To those who imbibed it was a riot to see things disappear and reappear right before their eyes. The layman of Europe had no idea of the existence of Hogwarts or wizarding kind. Percivus, as with his peers at school, used this obliviousness to his advantage. No drunken Englishman would ever suspect magic as the culprit behind Percivus's tricks.

Honest pay from a dishonest trade led wizardkind to regard Percivus in an infamous fashion. Magic folk frowned upon his heedless manipulation of muggles. Those close to him wondered why he hadn't used his high marks at Hogwarts to pursue further education in Potions or Defense Against the Dark Arts. His teachers always tried to lead him down a scholarly path but soon grew wont to his carefree attitude.

One day during Percivus's travels across the continent he found himself propped on a stool at a tavern situated in a small hamlet. It was afternoon and only a handful of regulars had made their way inside the small hut. One of these strangers sauntered across the room and sat down on a stool next to Percivus and began to speak.

"I know who ye are, fellow traveler," a waft of pungent whiskey trailed from his mouth, "yer that trickster, Percivus the Petty. 's tha' what they call ye?"

Percivus peered at him in silence for a moment then said "I mayhaps be!  
What is it you ask of me? A trick? I have plenty of tricks to show a man like you! Should we gather some mugs and have a show with their contents? Reduce the foam, and then spring life back into it? Take a warm lager and turn it death cold?"

The man had a glint in his eyes and seemed to glow, "I'm more interested in yer coin tricks, the disappearing acts, what do ye thin' about tha'"

Percivus smiled, "Ah, yes, sir! Those tricks, alas, for one of those I'd require compensation, for, you see, my purse always feels a bit lighter once I've made some of the coins disappear," and he let out a hearty laugh.

"I've plenny of compensation," he pulled a letter out of his breast pocket, "this, here, is post. Not jus' any post, though, mind ye, it seems to be addressed to ye, and I've right mind to give it to ye, too, if ye 'ave right mind to show me a good trick," he smiled back at Percivus, black eyes glazed over from the early mornings drink.

"Who is the letter from?"

"Mutual interest, one might say, no? I'm not at liberty to tell ye, no' now at least. Ye show me a trick, jus' to prove ye are who I think ye are, and I'll let you in on a secret," and he tossed the letter in front of the barkeep eavesdropping on the conversation.

"I say it'd be a right mistake for you not to take his bet," said the barkeep, then he walked to the other end of the hut to check on his patrons.

Percivus's curiosity piqued and without hesitation he said "Aye, you got yourself a deal!"

He pulled some coins from his purse and set to work, making them disappear and reappear in various places throughout the bar, up and down his sleeves, in the drinks of other patrons, turning one coin into multiple and visa versa. Soon enough everyone in the bar was amused with his tricks, they sat laughing and talking about the show they'd witnessed then Percivus and the man sat back down at a table in the corner where sunlight washed the table in white.

"I knew it was ye, could tell by the hooded robes," the man rubbed his nose and twirled his finger in the foam of the lager then whispered low "I know how ye do yer tricks, too"

Percivus just smiled.

"It's _magic,"_ Percivus opened his mouth to speak but the man interrupted "don' worry, tha's not why our employer's interested in ye."

Percivus was startled, he spoke low, "then what's it you're interested in, eh, I'm just a lowly thief using my wits to avoid the law, I make pay honestly, least from a _wizards_ point of view," he kept his cool, "who do you work for? Why did you say ' _our_ ' employer? I work for myself," he cast a quick glance around the room at the sparse crowd.

"I work fer a bank, it's a new wizard bank called Gringotts, run by goblins. I'm what ye might call a talent scout, if ye catch my meaning. This bank's s'posed to be the most secure bank in the world, it's full of traps, curses, hidden doors, labyrinthine passageways, even _dragons._ But ye see, goblins are cautious, 'specially 'bout treasure, they aren't the kind to leave any stone unturned. They're lookin' fer someone to storm the fortress, so to speak, see just how impenetrable this stronghold really is. Tha's where you come in. A thieve of thieves. This letter righ' here is no letter, it's a contract, and there's a map of Gringotts fer ye, too. The goblins want ye to break inside their bank and steal a treasure," the man's lips curled up in a toothy grin, "thing is, if ye can't do it, it's certain death," he put the letter on the table and folded his hands over it.

"Why me? I'm no thi-,"

"Don' say it. I know what ye do in yer free time when yer not runnin' through bars emptyin' purses," he interrupted, "I know abou' that cloak you keep hidden 'neath yer robes and the games ye play, the tricks you pull under cover of night, foolin' even our kin' with your sleight. I know you never keep nothin' and always put yer treasures back. I know ye do it for the thrill, to best yerself time and again. I know who ye are, who ye really are," he kept smiling, "that's why the goblins hired me, 'cause I told 'em what I know," he clasped his hands together," I think yer the man for the job, and tha's why I'm here," he stared at Percivus.

"How do you know," Percivus's voice was low "not even my teachers knew. I was made a prefect, played quidditch. Members of the council asked me to apprentice under the state. With my denial to serve the country I've been mostly ignored, a lost cause with no future and a bagful of hat tricks to entertain muggles," he offered a puzzled look at the man "how do you know?"

"I have my methods. So, will ye take the job?"

 **II**

Small pools formed under his feet as Percivus walked through the bronze and silver doors of Gringotts bank and past rows of goblin tellers on either side of him. He approached a shoulder height desk where a stout goblin was sneering at a tower of coins he was building on his desk. Without looking up from his gold he spoke.

"You must be Percivus," he snarled "I've been waiting for you."

"Right you are," he cocked his neck to look up "and you must be my employer."

The goblin nodded and curtly spoke "Did you sign the contract? Have you taken a good look at the map? In our dungeons you might not have light enough to see even with your precious magic," his lips curled exposing sharp pointed teeth "I hope you have your wits about you, _wizard_ , one false step could be certain death. Not that this bank would mind a void of the contract, you come at a hefty fee."

"I had nothing to do with that, you're the ones who sought out me."

"Nonetheless," he hissed "you'll be starting your task in a few hours. Yours will be an abnormal infiltration of our facility due to your level of ability. You will wait until midnight when the bank is empty save our lobby guards. We've given you the liberty of simply bypassing them, they will lead you freely into the entrance to the vaults. From that point forward you will be left to your devices to retrieve the item in the vault listed in your contract. I trust you have everything you need on your person?"

Percivus nodded.

"Right then, I suggest you wait in the lobby until it is time for you to begin. There is a bench in the foyer. You can rest there and contemplate your route," the goblin unlocked his gaze from Percivus and resumed toiling with his coins.

 **III**

Percivus could see sunlight peek through a crack across the distance of the cavern, "it's daylight," he whispered to himself with a grin "must be morning already and I still haven't found the vault, but I won't give up until I've bested these chambers," his robes dragged silently along the stone floor. Rounding a corner he saw light emanating from an alcove down an arched corridor and made his way towards the opening.

Inside the room was a chest high dragon's head with polished onyx eyes and dagger like stones for teeth. Nestled between the razor sharp bridgework was a glowing opal stone. Percivus stepped out and looked above the archway.

"Vault 476," he whispered "this is it," and stepped back inside.

After standing for a moment Percivus noticed sonorous hum coming from the statue.

"This statue sounds like it's snoring," he thought out loud in a hushed voice, "why is this statue snoring? Is it asleep? It's obviously some sort of puzzle," he looked around at the faint light casting shadows across the walls of the alcove, "I see no signs of a pull switch, or a key hole, there are no recessed holds in the walls, none raised either," he noticed a box sitting on the ground and crouched to take a closer look "feathers?"

Percivus began to examine the statue by running his hands along the scales, "this is no statue, this is preserved, yet the eyes have been exchanged same as the teeth. What is this opal stone? This is what I have been sent to retrieve, yet what does it do," he peered a little closer at the stone and saw text emblazoned across its circumference " _Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titiallandus,_ " he read aloud.

In an instant the room lit up bright as day and Percivus staggered backward throwing his arm in front of his eyes until they adjusted to the light "that could not have been a spell, I did not feel any magic course within me or the room, it must mean something else," and he stepped back into the chamber.

At the foot of the head an indentation had appeared "I knew it, this plate must have triggered the light," Percivus took in his newly lit surroundings "though there is nothing I missed in the darkness," he noted.

He picked up one of the feathers from the box on the floor and examined it "this feather, it is warm, this red color is curious. If my eyes do not deceive me this is the feather of a phoenix," he looked back at the dragon's head, glaring at him through dead stone eyes "yet what is its purpose?"

With the feather still clenched with his thumb he began running his hands along the scales again. When the hand with the feather passed the ridge of the snout the snoring of the statue would subside.

"What is this," he said slowly "but a furious vexation," Percivus could not seem to make the snoring permanently cease. As soon as he would lift the feather from the snout the sound would rise again. He kept his cool yet was annoyed. Through trial and error he found that if he swept the feather back and forth across the snout the snoring would cease for longer periods of time.

"Yet how does this relate to opening these jaws," he thought to himself. He grabbed a handful of feathers from the box and began to rub them vigorously along the snout. As he developed rhythm he noticed something peculiar.

"The jaws are opening," a wide smile appeared on his face "they're taking their time, yet if I keep this up I should be able to grab the stone!" He rubbed more vigorously and ignored the low growl rising from the jaws, its volume increased as its bite weakened "just a little bit more," Percivus's arms were growing tired when suddenly the jaws snapped completely open "Ha!"

In an instant Percivus plucked the opal stone from the jaws as an ear piercing screech filled the chamber and reverberated throughout the cavern of vaults. With his ears ringing he stepped out into the corridor where the echoes of screeching reverberated along the stone walls. He regained his composure and began his ascent to return to the entrance of Gringotts.

After a few minutes Percivus noticed the screeching had become fainter yet hadn't ceased. Its volume begane to rise. He heard gusts of wind in the distance, wind whistling down the labyrinthine halls. The hairs on his neck stood up as his gut knotted up. Trusting this feeling he pulled his outer robes over his head as his body disappeared and stuffed them inside where his body used to be simultaneously pulling a whisp of silver over his head as the rest of him left from sight.

This gut feeling saved his life. As soon as his face was covered a flock of dragons with scales grown pale from decades of darkness appeared from the ceiling above, screeching and squealing in response to the dragon's call from the severed head in vault 476.

They dove swiftly towards the platform Percivus was on and headed towards the archway he'd escaped from. The ground shook as their talons dug into the cracked mortar merely yards away from where he'd flattened himself against the wall and clung to the corner by the stairs. The dragons clacked their jaws as they scanned the area for intruders. Percivus didn't dare look, his heart was pounding, from the sound of it there were at least five dragons but he wasn't foolish enough to test his luck.

It seemed like ages had passed and the dragons were still perched on the stoneworks. Percivus decided sooner rather than later would be the best to finish his ascent and was confident he would be quiet enough to sneak up the stairs and leave the dragons behind. He turned to step up the stairs he had taken down when his leg caught nothing but air as he fumbled to keep himself upright nearly plunging to his death leagues below into the inky depths. His reflexive maneuver caused his other foot to slip backwards and he dropped the opal stone which crashed into the floor with multiple thuds. In no less time than it took for him to realize the stairs were gone the dragons all began to screech and fire shot from the depths of their throats in every direction of the cavern.

Percivus began to panic about the missing stairs but noticed with the light from the dragon's breath that they had merely moved to the other side of the passage, a witty trick of this goblin dungeon. Knowing his cover was blown he determined to run past the dragons whose aim had not quite reached below them on the platform they were on, he sprinted past them and up the stairs. They heard his footsteps and began aiming their red hot streams in his direction just a few feet behind his every step.

For however long they chased him he will never know but Percivus managed to reach the top of the cavern where he'd made his initial entrance into the blackness of that space. He crossed the threshold of a chamber doorway and ran as fast as he could to escape the flames sprayed through its frame. When he'd made it far enough that the fire couldn't reach him he collapsed next to a wall to catch his breath.

"Dragons? More like drag-on's," he quipped to himself "you couldn't catch a petty thief you ragged animals," he yelled down the hall "couldn't keep up with a weasley little wizard, eh?"

He was laughing as he stood up to make his way back through the rest of chambers. It wasn't far and there weren't booby traps in the less secure parts of the tunnels he'd made it to. As he clambored up the final flight of stairs the guard who had let him in bolted upright, he'd fallen asleep sometime in the night, and gave Percivus a nasty scowl.

"What, were you not expecting me?" Percivus had changed into his regular robes on the way through the safer tunnels, "I mean, I wasn't expecting a prepared breakfast or nothing but you could be happier to see me," and he strolled into the lobby.

The bank hadn't opened by the time Percivus had made it back but the goblin he'd spoken to who'd been stacking coins was already at his desk. He got down and walked over to Percivus. Looking up at him he said "I see you've succeded with the task."

"Yes, yes I have," with a smile ear to ear, Percivus was ecstatic.

"I suppose that means we have more work to do on the vaults," the goblin grimaced "don't bother saving the map, it's nothing but parchment now."

Percivus pulled out the map he'd poured over for the last few weeks. It was blank, as if it had never been touched with even a drop of ink.

"And as for your payment, well, you read the contract. Whatever treasure you find in the vault is yours should you wish to keep it or be compensated with an equal amount of gold."

"How much gold is this worth?"

"I'm not at liberty to reveal that unless the gold is what you've chosen," his teeth were bared with vile mirth, "so what is your choice?"

Percivus thought for a moment. He stared at the opal stone in his hand and thought about the journey he'd taken to retrieve such a plain object. Any tavern around could earn him more gold than he needed if he'd play the right tricks, what did he need gold for?

"I'll take the stone," he said.

"So be it, the guard will see you out," the goblin said sardonically "thank you for your _service,"_ he snarled and climbed back in his seat.

Percivus stepped onto the dirt path in front of Gringotts bank. Carriages strode past as people were making their way to work. Ignoring the bustle he stared at the white stone in his hand and noticed the words engraved upon it had disappeared. Without hesitation he clasped the stone between his fingers and shoved it into his pocket. He stared past the businesses lining the road and his eyes settled on a sign that read _The Leaky Cauldron_. He strode down to the building attached to this sign and made his way inside.

Inside he found a seat at the bar and asked for a quill from the barkeep. He pulled what used to be the map of Gringotts out of his pocket and spread it across the bar. He picked up the quill and wrote four words, _Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titiallandus._ The barkeep saw what he was writing and asked "What ye writing that fer?"

Percivus said, "I don't want to forget, not sure what it means."

"I can tell ye, I can read Latin," the barkeep said " 'course that's right silly, what ye 'ave there."

"What does it say?"

"Never tickle a sleeping dragon."

Percivus began to laugh and the barkeep stared at him in wonderment.

"What's the matter with ye?"

Percivus calmed himself, "oh, it's nothing, nothing at all. I say, good fellow, would you like to see a trick?"

He pulled his purse out of his pocket and set back to work.


End file.
